NDI has worked in Nepal since 1994 to strengthen citizen engagement in the political process. The Institute has pursued this goal through civic education programs, opinion polling, assistance to domestic election monitoring organizations and training political party leaders on organization and leadership skills.

More recently, NDI has been working with political party activists and women parliamentarians to enhance their political skills and their ability to deliver services. Constituent assembly elections held in Nepal in 2008 ushered in a new era for the country and especially for women politicians. The constituent assembly, which is charged with drafting a new constitution and serves as the country's legislative body until a new constitution is ratified, has one-third of its seats reserved for women.

Jay Nishaant, NDI Nepal's resident deputy director, discusses the Institute's work in Nepal, particularly its Women's Leadership Academy that trains women MPs and a new television talk show for women and by women.

What prompted the idea for the Women's Leadership Academy?

Right now, Nepal is going through a very historic yet very anxious moment in its political life. In April 2006, a coalition of political parties organized protests against the monarch. Millions of people took to the streets all across the country. That put pressure on the king and finally he gave up. The parliament was reinstated and Nepal was declared a republic.

Never before have the Nepalese drafted a constitution with democratically elected representatives. The previous constitutions were written either by a committee or by decree of the king.

When parliament was reinstated, the interim parliamentarians made some important and revolutionary decisions. One of them was that at least one-third of the seats of the constituent assembly be reserved for women. In the previous parliament in 1990, women made up less than 5 percent of parliamentarians. Never before in the history of Nepal have there been so many women in a position of power.

NDI's Nepal office saw that there was a need for a program for the new women constituent assembly members/parliamentarians. The majority, if not all, of the women were so new to politics; they wanted to know more about how to debate, how to contribute to meetings, how to form caucuses or how to communicate politically. We wanted to give them an orientation on all these subjects, so we designed and organized the Women's Leadership Academy (WLA). We also formed a steering committee consisting of senior party representatives from each party who helped us create a bridge between NDI and the political parties.

Who was invited to take part?

It was open to all women MPs, regardless of party. Members of nearly all the political parties — except a few that didn't have women members or were not in town — attended the WLA.

What topics were covered at the WLA?

The objectives of the WLA were to give the participants knowledge, information and skills. So we developed a curriculum that covered practical topics: rights of women, children and minorities; political communication; negotiation and lobbying; how to work with media; and more. On the one hand, we aimed to give them information and knowledge; on the other hand, we tried to give them practical skills, because when you’re in the parliament you need both: the information and how to use

the information. We designed follow up activities with input from the participants. They wanted to have something on the judiciary process so we had a workshop on judiciary reform. Then they wanted a workshop on the budget process because there was a new budget around the corner. So we had a workshop on the budget process. Then they wanted something on public hearings and committees, so we did a workshop on effective parliamentary practices for those. We received suggestions, developed the module, and then brought in different national and international experts, and we conducted the workshops that way.

What challenges did you face when the WLA began?

The biggest challenge was that of scheduling. Members of parliament must conduct parliamentary business, as well as sit on the constituent assembly. So both of these things already kept them very busy. On top of that there were at least 14 committees within the constituent assembly that met separately. One thing they didn't have at all was extra time. So for this program, we started at 7:00 a.m. We arrived at 7:00, had some tea, and went straight into the workshops. The sessions finished at 10:30. The women would have a quick lunch and then go to parliament.

It was taxing for them, because as Nepalese women, they are the moms, the wives, the mothers-in law with a lot of domestic responsibilities. They're expected to cook, clean, do the washing, look after the children and prepare them for school. But despite all these responsibilities, the women took the academy very seriously. They believed that attending the sessions would help them to be better parliamentarians and constituent assembly members. We had 102 participants who met for 24 workshops over 22 days and attendance was always more than 90 percent.

Has there been a change in the women's legislative skills since participating in the WLA?

Yes, there are some visible differences. They have started speaking more in meetings and in parliament. Earlier, they rarely spoke up. Also many of these women have been given the responsibility to chair committees in the constituent assembly, which is a good sign of their political abilities.

What do you hope the WLA will accomplish in the long term?

The goal is to empower the women to build successful political lives. We don't know what provision for women legislators there will be in the new constitution, and we want to see them be successful even if there is a smaller quota or no quota at all.

To help with this goal, we wanted to include the chance for the women to interact with their constituents. That's why we developed two additional program components: public hearings and constituent services. We went to the 10 districts with about 30 women parliamentarians. There, they held public meetings where they interacted with their constituents and had productive discussions. We encouraged them to listen to what the people want from them and try to find solutions in parliament or with government agencies or outside. When their constituents see results, thanks to the efforts of these MPs, we hope they will gain more support in their districts, making their political futures brighter.

To help serve their constituencies on a regular basis, we encouraged them to open a small office in their district where they can meet with constituents and address whatever concerns or problems or challenges are expressed. This will help them build a credible political presence with their constituencies so they are not viewed as just filling the quota but as performing well, which will help them win reelection.

How have the men in parliament reacted to the WLA?

Men in Nepal, especially the men in politics, played important roles bringing women up to this level where they are about one-third of the parliament. This achievement did not happen overnight or unexpectedly. For over a decade, men and women fought for the rights of women in Nepal, and I think the men in parliament are happy for the women and understand the value of their participation. But as far as the WLA is concerned, sometimes the male MPs ask us, "You work only with women. What about us?"

Still, Nepal remains a patriarchal society. The women MPs are accountable to their respective political parties, which are headed by men. So the agenda in the parliament is put forth by the parties and guided by the male politicians. The women MPs still do not have equal opportunities to express themselves either in the constituent assembly or in the parliament.

NDI-Nepal is working to create an alternate medium for them. We've planned to do a television show that will have a primetime slot on one of the leading television channels. It will be a show run by women and aimed at women. It will be a place where they can express their views and give their opinions on the issues, whether national issues or women's issues. We're hoping the show will build awareness and consensus among a larger cross-section of women in Nepalese society and that women will have a greater voice in the drafting of the new constitution.

On the show, we will have some of the women parliamentarians, some independent experts and some other prominent women from society. Together they will discuss women's issues, challenges women face in the country and how they can create solutions.

When is that set to start?

The first show is set to broadcast on March 25. It will be broadcast once a week for 14 weeks.

Pictured above: Jay Nishaant

• Read about a member of NDI Nepal’s staff who is doing a fellowship in Washington, D.C. to aid her work with a women’s caucus in Nepal »

  Published on March 24, 2010